According to The Daily News Journal, "
Months into their third special census this decade, Murfreesboro and La Vergne each have heard from less people than they did five years ago.
La Vergne set a goal of 27,000, while Murfreesboro expected to hear from close to 100,000 residents. By Monday evening, La Vergne had 21,500 responses and Murfreesboro had 75,695, compared to the 2003 counts of 23,863 and 78,083, respectively.
"Many people just aren't answering the door or are otherwise avoiding the census workers. Many feel it's an intrusion on their privacy and just refuse," said La Vergne spokeswoman Angie Mayes, adding that the city's deadline to report its population count to the state is Monday. "I wanted to get to 27,000 people. Not sure it's going to happen in a week."
Smyrna is also working on a special census and had collected 35,525 names so far. That number is up 2,400 from the 2005 special census, but 2,575 less than this year's estimated mark of 38,000. May 9 is the last day for residents to respond.
Municipalities have the option of conducting a special count three times between each 10-year federal census. The next federal census is 2010. This will be the last special count for each city this decade.
Each person counted in a special census generates $111 in state-shared revenue from the state's Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD), according to figures from the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service. Money gained from the special census is provided to a local government's general fund each year until the next census takes place. Cities look at the special census as a way to help gain needed revenue without having to hike property taxes on exisiting residents.
In 2006, La Vergne's census found 25,257 residents, up 3,710 from 2003. Hitting its goal this year would bring in close to $555,000 more in state funding.
Smyrna had a population of 25,569 in 2000, and the last two special counts found about 4,000 more people each time. The town could see a general fund increase of nearly $541,000 if this year's goal is met.
In 2000, federal census takers set Murfreesboro's population at 68,812. A special census in 2005 counted 81,393. Officials are looking for a population count near 100,000 this year and an increase of $2 million in funding.
Both Smyrna and La Vergne budgeted $20,000 for the task, compared to Murfreesboro's $50,000.
ECD spokeswoman Laura Elkins wasn't sure how many Tennessee cities have a special count under way, but said when campaigns begin city officials are urged to talk about its importance as often as possible.
"Strong census numbers help ensure a city gets its fair share of state taxes and helps them reduce local taxes. If less people respond now than in a previous year, the city doesn't have to turn the census in. Their previous numbers will remain in effect until the next special or federal census," she said.
Firefighters in all three communities are now going door to door in a last-minute effort to collect names. In La Vergne, the Box 100 volunteer group and city employee Felicia Halfacre are collecting information as well.
Murfreesboro's efforts are concentrated in apartments and neighborhoods close to the MTSU campus in order to catch students before they head home for the summer, said city planner Robert Lewis.
About 12,400 of the city's 42,500 dwellings have not responded. The city will begin calling non-responding households in early May.
Roseanne Peppers is coordinating the census in Smyrna and said approximately 1,000 homes still must be canvassed. When firefighters visit non-responding homes, firefighters leave doortags that contain a detachable postcard that can be mailed in at no extra charge.
Smyrna resident Barbara Gentry said she was anxious to fill her form out when it arrived in the mail.
"I filled it out and sent it right back in. I know how important it is," she said, adding Peppers was part of the crew that stopped in her neighborhood off Old Nashville Highway last week.
